December 27th, 1:41 p.m., Yacheng outskirts, Coast Automobile Manufacturing Plant.
In the cafeteria, workshops, and dormitories, everyone heard a distant muffled boom, like a tire blowing out. A minute later, the fire alarm suddenly blared, echoing throughout the entire facility!
As a massive pale column of gas gradually rose into the distance, everyone saw a strange mushroom cloud slowly expanding. Piercing alarms rose and fell. As everyone looked at one another in confusion, an unfamiliar, cold female voice came over the broadcast system: "A major safety hazard has been detected. In accordance with the facility's safety management regulations, all department foremen are requested to cease all production activities and orderly organize employees into groups to gather at the plaza before the central building. Repeat: a major safety hazard has been detected."
In less than a minute, all equipment across every unit had been shut down. Once every source of fire had been completely extinguished, the water, electricity, and natural gas were all cut off. Under the urging and shouting of their team leaders, the bewildered workers gathered densely in the plaza. It was the first time they had encountered something like this. The various departments frantically counted heads again, and after repeatedly confirming that no one was missing, they were herded like cattle and sheep onto the large transport trucks originally used to carry cucumbers, one section at a time, and sped away.
With the roads in such terrible condition, everyone in the trucks could only cling to the railings as they swayed and stumbled about. Just as someone was joking that they wouldn't be sent to some Black Industry Park, screams erupted from the rear of the vehicle.
Looking down from the mountain road, rolling white mist spread like tides, gradually expanding toward the coastal factory district. Within just